This is a way to relieve stress, not to get it. You will be less nervous if you don’t try to plan every minute of the trip.
This is a way to support small businesses and help preserve local culture. And it’s not just about foreign trips.
They reflect better on the environment and are more environmentally friendly.
They are cheaper if you want.
How to Travel Slowly in practice
Give up superficial tours in the spirit of “five European cities in three days with an overnight stay on the bus.” Choose a place and stay there longer. Get to know the local culture, cuisine, music and lifestyle.
Have you ever planned a trip on your own? It’s easier than it might seem.
Choose a Bed & Breakfast instead of a chain hotel, rent a camper or stay in a small local boutique hotel.
Allow yourself to be free and flexible. Don’t make lists of required places. Allow yourself to deviate from the plan. Leave time for spontaneous ideas. You may wake up with no plans for the day at all. Yes, it was also possible.
Don’t be afraid not to see some tourist attractions. You don’t have to visit all ten museums or find all twenty-seven city sculptures. If it’s really hard to let it go, just think — you’ll never see everything anyway.
In Paris, I refused to go to the Louvre, because I realized that I had not had time to walk the streets in a week. Besides, I really wanted to get to Orsay and had to choose one museum. And I didn’t want to run into the Louvre for two hours to hang out in the crowd at the Mona Lisa and tick the “was” box. Of course, if you’ve dreamed of visiting the Louvre all your life, then it’s worth going!
Devote more time to cultural events: gastronomic or wine tours, local fairs and concerts.
Think about what you would like to do on your perfect relaxing day. Read a book, take a walk on the beach, go to yoga, look at people from the restaurant window. Do something for yourself that you never have enough time for.
Stay at home or sleep until lunch if you like. Of course, if the thought “we didn’t come here to sit in a hotel” deprives you of peace, you need to go into the world. But if you suffer from chronic lack of sleep, and after traveling you need to go back to work, then sometimes you should just sleep.
Walk, ride a bike or scooter instead of public transport.
Meet people. I’m an introvert, but I’m willing to admit that the most interesting travel stories happen where people are. A casual conversation with the bartender can change all your plans for the rest of the trip.
Try to live an ordinary life, only in another country. Imagine that you live here and this is your usual “home” day off. Will you gallop to see the sights or would you prefer to take a leisurely walk, read a book in a coffee shop or sit with a glass at the bar. If the second one responds, then you should try slow travel.
Slow travel is not only about trips abroad and long vacations. This is a way to “slow down” the frenzied world around you. Once you adopt this approach, you will be able to apply it in a familiar place on the next weekend. Imagine yourself as a tourist in your own city and try not to rush anywhere at least sometimes.